It is well known in the art to utilize a technique wherein missiles shortly after their manufacture are placed in shipping containers, such that damage to the missiles will not occur during the interval between their manufacture, and the time they are deployed for firing.
Thereafter, it was realized that the shipping container could be designed in such a manner that the missile could subsequently be fired directly from the container, rather than having to be removed therefrom and placed in a launch device. The Banta et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,961 entitled "Integrated Rocket Shipping Container and Launcher" is typical of a rocket container-launcher that, on the one hand, is capable of withstanding normal shipping forces, and on the other hand, may serve as a launch device from which the missile can later be fired.
It is also known in the art to utilize a retaining mechanism in a launch tube such that the missile will not be dislodged from the desired location in the tube until the exact moment it is to be fired. Typical restraint devices utilize bolts, or the like, that hold the missile in the proper location in the canister or launch tube until the motor is ignited, and the forces created thereby build to such a point as to cause a failure, such as by shearing, of the restraint bolt or bolts. Unfortunately, by the time the propulsion forces of the rocket have risen to such a point that bolt shearing is brought about, the buildup of forces is so great as to cause a substantial shock to the missile, such that certain components therein are prone to fail.
Others have endeavored to solve this problem by arranging the blast issuing from the ignited rocket to bring about rotation of a latching arm that will bring about release of the rocket. The Wissner U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,493 teaches such an arrangement. However, release of the restraints on the missile in such an arrangement unfortunately do not occur with sufficient rapidity as to obviate damage to certain vital components contained in the missile.
It was in an effort to overcome these disadvantages that the present invention was developed.